Australia: Black Market Vape Sales Outpace Legal Products 1,700 to 1
June 20, 2025 by vaping360.com
Australia: Black Market Vape Sales Outpace Legal Products 1,700 to 1
The Australian government's mandate to sell vapes only in pharmacies has led to the destruction of the legal vape market, creating a booming illicit market. Government documents show that only 1 out of 1,700 vape transactions are legal. Illicit sales dominate, with over 10 million vapes sold illegally monthly. Legal vapes are limited to certain flavors in plain packaging. Australia's vape bans and restrictive laws have failed since 2008. Efforts to eliminate the black market have backfired, leading to increased organized crime involvement and violence. To solve the issue, vapes should be legalized and regulated as consumer products, but the government needs to acknowledge the failure of its current pharmacy-only approach.
12.50% of the adult population are current smokers. There are approximately 2.6 million current smokers in Australia 14.80% of men are current smokers but only 10.30% of women.
SOURCE: GSTHR
